Hosted by the Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers, this invitation-only event will feature pioneers from the U.S. manufacturing sector, innovators from postsecondary education, and thought leaders from prestigious institutions from across the country.

The roundtable will address several of the critical issues facing education including:

Translating the economic and national security importance of the manufacturing sector into robust postsecondary programs of study.

Addressing the new reality of working learners and the need to earn while learning.

Nunn’s presentation focuses on the STLCC’s responsiveness to the workforce needs of the aerospace manufacturing cluster. Through the St. Louis Aerospace Institute, the college has developed a strategic alliance with industry and community groups to create career pathways that may lead directly to employment for participants, and potentially lead to further education and credentials, including certificates as well as two-year and four-year degrees for workers in the aerospace industry. Partners include Boeing, GKN Aerospace, Midcoast Aviation, Kemco Aerospace, Sabreliner Corp., the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, the St. Louis County Workforce Investment Board, the Ferguson-Florissant and Ritenour school districts, and Better Family Life, Inc.

“The St. Louis Aerospace Institute is addressing critical workforce preparation needs as well as enhance the region’s economic competitiveness by building St. Louis Community College’s capacity to respond to this high-growth industry sector,” Nunn said. “The project’s emphasis on strengthening the technical skills of the area’s current jobseekers to respond to this industry sector is important to all the partners.”

The dialogue also will focus on how the key manufacturing business principles of lean dynamics, mass customization, supply chain agility, and aligned business and human resources strategies apply to education institutions and programs of study.

The Manufacturing Institute, led by Emily Stover DeRocco, focuses on developing human capital strategies through education reform and workforce development, conducting applied research to provide critical information to public policy makers on challenges and opportunities for today's industry, and advancing the innovation capacity of manufacturers operating in a global market.

The National Association of Manufacturers is the nation's largest industrial trade association, representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.